Which brings us back to the “why bother” question and how we might better answer it. The reasons not to bother are many and compelling, at least to the cheap-energy mind. But let me offer a few admittedly tentative reasons that we might put on the other side of the scale:

If you do bother, you will set an example for other people. If enough other people bother, each one influencing yet another in a chain reaction of behavioral change, markets for all manner of green products and alternative technologies will prosper and expand. (Just look at the market for hybrid cars.) Consciousness will be raised, perhaps even changed: new moral imperatives and new taboos might take root in the culture. Driving an S.U.V. or eating a 24-ounce steak or illuminating your McMansion like an airport runway at night might come to be regarded as outrages to human conscience. Not having things might become cooler than having them. And those who did change the way they live would acquire the moral standing to demand changes in behavior from others — from other people, other corporations, even other countries.

All of this could, theoretically, happen. What I’m describing (imagining would probably be more accurate) is a process of viral social change, and change of this kind, which is nonlinear, is never something anyone can plan or predict or count on. Who knows, maybe the virus will reach all the way to Chongqing and infect my Chinese evil twin. Or not. Maybe going green will prove a passing fad and will lose steam after a few years, just as it did in the 1980s, when Ronald Reagan took down Jimmy Carter’s solar panels from the roof of the White House.

An idealistic though thought-provoking take on "going green." Be more proactive -- consume less and plant a garden.

-janelane, sign me up

The Green Issue - Climate Change - Environment - Energy Efficiency - Consumption - New York Times

Abraham writes: "My fascination with Tesla started in elementary school, when my science teacher compared Tesla and Edison. I decided to pay my tribute to the wizard with a patent drawing on an electric magnetic motor, submitted by Tesla in the late 1800's."

Some of the explanations are super dorky, but, hey, that's kind of the point.

-janelane

Nerdy Tattoos

U.S. Marine Cpl. Cesar Laurean, the main suspect in the killing of a 20-year-old pregnant Marine, was captured Thursday night, three months after fleeing North Carolina, the FBI said.

Woo-hoo! I hope they fry him.

-janelane

Murder charges await Marine captured in Mexico - CNN.com

An Australian man and his daughter have created a furor after going on television to admit an incestuous relationship which has produced two children.

Wow. I didn't think there existed a place more redneck than south Georgia, but it appears we've got a winner. Yuck.

-janelane

Dad and daughter admit incest produced babies - CNN.com

Federal law requires the Park Service to provide universal access to its land and attractions. Ms. Sieck and other people with disabilities say they cannot gain entry or use many of the Golden Gate area’s historic buildings, trails, museums, restrooms or water fountains.

The lawsuit, filed in Federal District Court in San Francisco, contends that the Park Service and its local administrators have “systemically discriminated against plaintiffs on the basis of their disabilities,” failing to make adjustments, required for decades, to assist people with restricted mobility, poor or no vision, hearing loss or other needs.

It's not hiking once you add gently sloped paved roads to every trail. There needs to be a line where some trails are for walking (and rolling) and some are, frankly, only for hiking.

-janelane

Near the Golden Gate, Seeking Broader Access to Parks - New York Times

Several states have laws restricting photography and videography of what are broadly referred to as “animal enterprises,” including circuses, medical laboratories and ranches. And in 2006, Congress passed the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, which makes behavior that results in damage to or the economic disruption of an animal enterprise illegal. The laws were in part a reaction to the increased use of hidden video cameras, Ms. Newkirk said.

Your pro-industry, anti-safety tax dollars at work. I thought we had a majority democratic legislation?

-janelane

Upton Sinclair, Now Playing on YouTube - New York Times

...however, the black color scheme in Word is pretty bitching. Also, the previewing of bullets in Word, the cell colors in Excel, etc. is bitching, too.

That's it, though. I hate that goddamned ribbon.

-janelane, professional software reviewer

Majestic Jacobean style English castle with over 45,000 sq ft of home on 12.3 acres of beautifully landscaped property. Outstanding master carvings and stone work throughout the home. Eleven various stone and woodcarved fireplaces. Totally renovated exterior and interior with all new mechanicals including central air.

13 bedrooms, 8.3 bathrooms. Now, if only it wasn't in Jersey...oh, and not $11,000,000. :-)

-janelane

my next house :-)

MIT OpenCourseWare

OCW is a free publication of course materials
used at MIT.

* Get lecture notes, problem sets, labs
and more.
* Watch lecture videos and demonstrations.
* Study a wide variety of subjects.

Continuing education on the cheap. Sweet!

-janelane

Free Online MIT Course Materials | MIT OpenCourseWare

While some New Yorkers shrugged off the mercury report, others worried about being turned into human thermometers. Given the likelihood that this is more than a local concern, it seemed worth seeking the views of the candidates who are still in the game of presidential Chutes and Ladders. They were all too busy traipsing around South Carolina and Florida to come to the phone, but their campaign staffs provided statements in their names.

After reading this piece, I agree more than ever with Lewis Black...

RE-ELECT RONALD REAGAN!

-janelane

Tuna Fish Stories: The Candidates Spin the Sushi - New York Times